WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama sternly warned the U.S. Congress on Friday against a government shutdown on October 1 as lawmakers struggled to pass an emergency spending bill that Republicans want to use to defund Obama’s healthcare reform law.

While there was still a chance of averting a shutdown, time was running out as House of Representatives Republicans fought with each other over the next steps.

WASHINGTON, Sept 27 (Reuters) – The U.S. government braced
on Friday for the possibility of a partial shutdown of
operations on Oct. 1 as Congress struggled to pass an emergency
spending bill that Republicans want to use to achieve Tea
Party-backed goals, such as defunding the new healthcare reform
law.

While there was still a chance of averting a shutdown, time
was running out.

The Senate on Friday was on track to pass legislation
keeping the federal government operating beyond midnight Monday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House of Representatives Republicans on Thursday refused to give in to President Barack Obama’s demand for straightforward bills to run the government beyond September 30 and to increase borrowing authority to avoid a historic default.

In a direct challenge to Obama, they said they will seek not only a one-year delay in the full implementation of the national healthcare law known as “Obamacare” in return for raising the debt ceiling, but also seek a Republican wish-list of tax measures, energy bills, regulatory proposals and spending cuts that Democrats have already refused to endorse.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican infighting took a nasty turn in the U.S. Senate on Thursday with Senator Bob Corker accusing fellow conservative Ted Cruz of using the looming fiscal deadline for self-promotion and to endear himself further with Tea Party groups.

Congress has four days left to pass a spending bill to keep the government running. But traditional arguments between Republicans and Democrats, and bickering within the Republican Party have delayed action for days.

WASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) – U.S. House of
Representatives Republicans on Thursday refused to give in to
President Barack Obama’s demands for straightforward bills to
keep the government running beyond Sept. 30 and to increase
borrowing authority to avoid a historic default.

In a direct challenge to Obama, they said they will seek a
one-year delay in the full implementation of the new national
healthcare law known as “Obamacare” in return for raising U.S.
borrowing authority by enough to let Treasury borrow through the
end of 2014.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress, struggling to avert a government shutdown next week, was warned by the Obama administration on Wednesday that the Treasury was quickly running out of funds to pay government bills and could soon face a damaging debt default.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew pleaded with Congress to raise the $16.7 trillion debt limit and said the government would not be able to borrow funds past October 17.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress, already struggling to avert a government shutdown next week, turned its attention on Wednesday to the other fiscal bullet it had to dodge: a federal debt default.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives notified members that a vote on raising the debt limit could come as early as Friday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – White House officials are mustering support among Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee to back Federal Reserve Vice Chair Janet Yellen, three sources said on Friday, laying the groundwork for her expected nomination to the Fed’s top job.

Two Senate Democratic aides, who requested anonymity, said officials had encouraged senators to support Yellen and talk her up, hardening the sense that President Barack Obama has settled on her to replace Fed chief Ben Bernanke when his term ends in January.

WASHINGTON, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Republicans in the House of
Representatives set in motion on Wednesday a plan that
ultimately could avert a federal government shutdown on Oct. 1,
turning a later battle over the debt ceiling into the main event
in the conservative struggle against President Barack Obama’s
healthcare program.

Obama accused Republicans of engaging in extortion by
demanding a delay in “Obamacare” as the price of avoiding
default that, were it to happen, would smash the U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday set in motion a plan that is expected to avert a federal government shutdown on October 1, but bring another battle over President Barack Obama’s healthcare program.

The plan will also force another fight over avoiding a first-ever government default on its debt. The government’s authority to borrow more money will run out around mid-October unless Congress increases the debt ceiling.